Confident: Food for the Journey - Themes

By IVP

Can we be sure of God? Do we trust his purposes and promises?

Biblical confidence doesn't mean we won't ever shed tears or have doubts. It certainly doesn't mean that we'll grow in popularity or assertiveness. But it does mean that we can trust God's character and his Word.

Trusted Bible teachers Alistair Begg, Steve Brady, Raymond Brown, Andrew Dow, Jonathan Lamb, Alex Motyer, Hugh Palmer, Vaughan Roberts and Keith Weston unpack this theme. See that God is who he says he is, and that what he says, he means, even on our darkest days.

So, even when we suffer, or our prayers appear unanswered, or it feels like God isn't in control, we can still trust him. Our confidence is rock solid, whatever life throws at us.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IVP
• Release date: May 20, 2021
• ISBN: 9781789741896

Book preview

INTER-VARSITY PRESS

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Website: www.ivpbooks.com

© Keswick Ministries, 2021

The contributors and Elizabeth McQuoid have asserted their right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as Authors of this work.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher or the Copyright Licensing Agency.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version (Anglicized edition). Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Ltd, an Hachette UK company. All rights reserved. ‘NIV’ is a registered trademark of Biblica. UK trademark number 1448790.

Scripture quotations marked

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are taken from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Extracts marked

kjv

are from the Authorized Version of the Bible (The King James Bible), the rights in which are vested in the Crown, and are reproduced by permission of the Crown’s Patentee, Cambridge University Press.

Scripture quotations marked

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are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked

nkjv

are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked

nlt

are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60189, USA. All rights reserved.

First published 2021

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN: 978–1–78974–190–2

eBook ISBN: 978–1–78974–189–6

Set in Avenir 11/15pt

Typeset in Great Britain by CRB Associates, Potterhanworth, Lincolnshire

Printed in Great Britain by Ashford Colour Press Ltd, Gosport, Hampshire

eBook by CRB Associates, Potterhanworth, Lincolnshire

Inter-Varsity Press publishes Christian books that are true to the Bible and that communicate the gospel, develop discipleship and strengthen the church for its mission in the world.

IVP originated within the Inter-Varsity Fellowship, now the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship, a student movement connecting Christian Unions in universities and colleges throughout Great Britain, and a member movement of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students. Website: www.uccf.org.uk. That historic association is maintained, and all senior IVP staff and committee members subscribe to the UCCF Basis of Faith.

Contributors

Psalm 23

Keith Weston

Keith was Rector of St Ebbe’s Church, Oxford (1964–1985). He was also chair of the Keswick Convention Council and a trustee of UCCF (Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship). He spoke at conventions associated with Keswick Convention around the world and at many university missions.

Psalms 93 and 94, Philippians 2, Colossians 3 and 1 Thessalonians 2

Alec Motyer

Alec was Vice Principal of Clifton Theological College, Bristol, and Vicar of St Luke’s Church, Hampstead, before becoming Principal of Trinity College, Bristol. He was much loved on both sides of the Atlantic as a Bible expositor and a prolific author.

Psalm 121

Andrew Dow

Andrew trained for ministry at Oak Hill College, London. He and his wife Miriam served together in six UK churches before moving to Stratford-upon-Avon, where Andrew is honorary Assistant Minister at Holy Trinity Church.

Habakkuk 2 and Revelation 2 and 4

Jonathan Lamb

Jonathan is Minister-at-Large for Keswick Ministries. He was previously CEO of Keswick Ministries and Director of Langham Preaching. He is the author of a number of books, including Preaching Matters: Encountering the living God and Essentially One: Striving for the unity God loves. He is also Vice President of IFES (International Fellowship of Evangelical Students).

Romans 8:28–30

Vaughan Roberts

Vaughan has been Rector of St Ebbe’s Church, Oxford, since 1998. He is Director of Proclamation Trust, an organization that encourages and equips Bible teachers, and the author of many books, including God’s Big Picture: A Bible overview and Battles Christians Face.

Romans 8:31–39

Alistair Begg

Alistair is from Scotland, but has been Senior Pastor at Parkside Church, Cleveland, Ohio, USA, since 1983. He is the voice behind the daily radio broadcast Truth for Life and has written a number of books, including Pray Big: Learn to pray like an apostle.

Colossians 1

Steve Brady

Steve has spoken at conferences and conventions around the world, many linked to the Keswick Convention, of which he was a trustee and speaker for two decades. He held four pastorates in the UK before becoming Principal of Moorlands College, Sopley, Dorset. He is now Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church, Grand Cayman, West Indies.

1 John 4

Hugh Palmer

Hugh was Vicar of Christ Church, Fulwood, Sheffield, from 1997 to 2005. He then served as Rector of All Souls Church, Langham Place, London, and was a chaplain to the Queen. He is Chair of Word Alive.

Revelation 1

Raymond Brown

Formerly Principal of Spurgeon’s College, London, Raymond also served as a Baptist minister in Cambridge and Torquay. He is the author of a number of books, including several volumes in IVP’s The Bible Speaks Today series.

Preface

What is the collective name for a group of preachers? A troop, a gaggle, a chatter, a pod . . . ? I’m not sure! But in this Food for the Journey series we have gathered an excellent group of Bible teachers to help us to unpack the Scriptures and understand some of the core issues that every Christian needs to know.

Each book is based on a particular theme and contains excerpts from messages given by much loved Keswick Convention speakers, past and present. When necessary, the language has been updated but, on the whole, this is what you would have heard had you been listening in the tent on Skiddaw Street. A wide, though not exhaustive, selection of Bible passages explores the key theme, and each day of the devotional ends with a fresh section on how